Skin Tight
by wirniagomi
Summary: Chat Noir and Ladybug run into some problems with removing their suits.
1. Chapter 1: Skin Tight

Instances like this are rare. It almost feels unreal, sitting there with him beneath the moon. The vast city of Paris stretches out before them; it's so expansive and otherworldly that she can't believe there's nothing else they can do. This tranquility, this stillness, it's unusual, unsettling, yet it's present. Her indigo gaze scrolls across the other rooftops, then scales the heights of the Eiffel Tower before it sweeps through the streets in search of something, anything. There's really nothing.

"Just savor the mewment, my lady," Chat Noir urges her with that smirk of his.

She scoffs, then tears her eyes away from the world below them. A look of uneasiness flickers on her expression before it dissipates, softened by a smile and a sigh. "Fine," she submits with a wave of her hand, "but only because you've persuaded me."

His grin widens, and, emboldened by her words, promiscuously leans closer to her. "Well, I am the master of purr-suasion. That makes me curious though…what else might I be able to convince you to do?"

Ladybug raises an unimpressed brow at him, and folds her arms. "At the moment, the most I'm convinced of is that you need a lesson in personal space."

She pokes his chest with her finger, and then fluidly urges him out of her bubble. He pouts at her, rubbing the same spot disappointedly.

"Meow-ch." He huffs goodheartedly, making Ladybug giggle, "you wound me."

Both of them direct their eyes back to the city, but it's only a few seconds later that their stares return to each other. This time, however, their voices don't fill the silence. Instead quiet surrounds them, and Marinette feels that same sense of familiarity register with their eyes locked as they are. A part of her argues that it's Chat Noir, of course he's familiar. They've risked everything for each other, put their lives on the line for each other, they've always been by the other's side through thick, thin, and everything else. That being said she's never pushed to discover who he is under the mask. So why…does she feel like she already knows?

Her mind wanders to those times he's mentioned how they might know each other, and she wonders….do they? Could they really?

"LB?" His voice pulls her from her thoughts.

She blinks, surprised, but realizes now that, while she was transfixed by his eyes and the questions they cause her, she's leaned closer to him than he ever did.

"I…" She fumbles at first. A voice at the back of her head tells her to pull away, to reestablish the space between them, but she can't. His viridian green stare holds her in place, captivated.

He reaches up, hesitates, then cups her cheek, and she witnesses as the planes of his face morph in a way she's never seen before. It's as if all his arrogance drains from him, replaced with something deeper. Something sweeter. Something sincere. She searches for dishonesty, deceit; she searches for something that would reveal that look—so loving—to be nothing more than another one of his meaningless advances on her…but it's not there. She can't find anything beyond the tantalizing mixture of care, compassion, and craving.

Whereas she can't find her voice, Chat Noir hasn't lost his.

"Ladybug…" He begins uncertainly. "I know you said we can't share our secret identities, but I want you to know that I…"

He trails off for a second, appears to brace himself for rejection, then continues.

"I love you, Ladybug."

Her breath hitches.

"I'll still love you if I ever meet the girl in the suit, and I'll still love you if I never meet her. I've told myself again and again that someday you'll fall for me, someday you'll return my affections…but…but I can't keep waiting for someday, my lady, because there might never come a time like this…when it's just the two of us without the weight of—"

She captures his mouth in a kiss. It's a heady, desperate, loving kiss that sends electricity shuddering through her body. The pulse electrifies her nerves, frenzies her thoughts, sends her heart hammering, and releases dozens of anxious butterflies loose within her tummy all the while awakening desires that were once dormant in her subconscious. It's those same wishes that compel her to press her body against his, to cling to him when he lays her on her back and kisses his way down her neck, to frantically map out his figure with her hands, to memorize the way his body feels adhered to hers. She feels imprisoned in her own ecstasy, but it's such a paradisiacal sensation that she can't even complain. There are no questions that rise to shatter the happiness, only succulent euphoria that motivates her every tender action.

"Lady…" Chat says her name, but not in the tone she expects. He sounds puzzled. When he sits up, straddling her with each of his hands framing her hips, she recognizes a cat-like look of bewilderment.

"What?" She asks him, now equally as confused.

"There's no zipper," he states, his mask creasing as he furrows his brows.

"Zipper…" She repeats as she looks down at herself, eyes wide when she notices he's right. Sitting up abruptly, and consequently putting a bit of distance between them, she studies her suit and frowns. "Huh, you're right….I never noticed."

Chat strokes his chin thoughtfully and attempts to pinch of the fabric, but inadvertently catches some of her skin as well.

"Ow!" She hisses as she swats his hand away and rubs her arm protectively. "That's me, Chat."

"Sorry!" He says in hurried remorse. "It's just…Unless this thing is super stretchy, I don't see how I'll get it off you. Why isn't there a zipper, damn it!"

"I've never needed one," Lady defends herself with folded arms, to which Chat Noir gives her an incredulous look and points at the bell on his own suit.

"Neither have I but I still have one."

Marinette studies him, before she reaches out and toys with his golden bell. He automatically looks excited. She laughs under her breath, but leans closer and attempts to revive the mood.

"Down, kitty," she whispers.

He chuckles but grins mischievously. "On you?"

"How about I go first," she breathes. Once again, she kisses him. He automatically returns her affection. Just like before, voltaic wave pulses through her. It causes all the same reactions. It's almost as if they didn't run into that road block until she attempts to unzip his suit.

She pulls on the bell once, twice, three times. She doubles the force behind her yanking, and even tries so hard that she begins tugging poor Chat's neck with every motion.

He puts his hands on hers to still her attempts, looking almost stunned. "Bug-a-boo, I know kitties wear collars but that doesn't mean I like being choked."

"I'm sorry," Lady responds whilst pulling on the bell one more time only to achieve the same result, "but the zipper must be stuck or something."

"What do you mean?" He inquires before he tries to unzip his suit too. It doesn't work. His eyes widen in surprise and he cocks his head to the side. "Hmm. That's strange. Try again."

He gestures for her to do so, and she does. She tries several more times, but is only ever met with the failure. They take turns, back and forth, but no matter what they try or how they try the result is the same time and time again. They brainstorm, but none of their ideas work or they just aren't efficient from the get go. Chat attempts to tear her suit with his nails; he formulates a plan where he makes it disappear with his Cataclysm; Lady attaches her yo-yo to his bell and tries to pull; she even tosses up the idea of searching for scissors or a knife—neither of them think that's a good idea.

"Why don't you just use your Lucky Charm?" He asks her after quite a while, to which she shakes her head. "I don't want to de-transform."

She shies away at the look he gives her.

"Are you for real?" He demands.

"Do you mean 'fur-real?" She counters sheepishly.

It makes him snort and he shakes his head. "Haha, very funny, but no. Not what I meant."

"What then?"

"We're literally one zipper away from getting it on, and you're worried about…your secret identity?"

She flails a little bit, but eventually folds her arms. "So?"

The annoyance that faintly tinged his face fades, and he can't help but smile at her, then chuckle and shake his head. The sensual intimacy that once permeated the atmosphere has dwindled now, and all that remains is his dedication and adoration for her. He toys with a lock of her hair and leans forward to peck her forehead.

"You're the craziest girl in hiss-tory." He tells her with a tiny smile, and she beams up at him delightedly. "Like I said, I'll love you when I meet the girl behind the mask, and I'll still love you if I don't."


	2. Chapter 2: Let Loose

"You're the craziest girl in hiss-tory." He told her this with a tiny smile, and she beamed up at him in return. "Like I said, I'll love you when I meet the girl behind the mask, and I'll still love you if I don't."

Suddenly, she shifted away from him, her eyes widening in fear.

Chat innocently turned his head to the side, frowning. "What's wrong, my lady?"

Ladybug's shaking hand rose slowly from her lap, pointing towards his ring. She was frozen. Words attempted to escape her mouth, yet nothing but a small squeak emerged. He looked down, and saw that his Miraculous was on the verge of running out. As panicked as he became, he still couldn't resist the opportunity.

"This is a cat-astrophe."

Ladybug was silent, and she stood up without a word. She knew she couldn't get away. Her yo-yo was all sorts of tangled up in the rooftop's railing, a failed contraption to remove their suits. There was no way she could get it out in time to get down, and they obviously couldn't waltz into the house itself. Solemnly, she walked over to the opposite side of the roof, and leaned against the railing. As she put her head in her arms, Chat Noir could hear faint sobbing, along with the final beeping of his Miraculous.

And just like that, his transformation disappeared. Plagg materialized, exhausted, and began to complain.

"I can't believe you let your transformation run out! What were you up to that was so dire? Do you even know-" Adrien cut him off by shoving a piece of cheese in his mouth and quietly shooing him away. Plagg noticed Ladybug's defeated posture, and floated off to stuff his face. Adrien would have turned his attention back to Ladybug, but it had never left. His eyes were glued to her back as she continued to stand in silence, tears certainly running down her face.

Adrien was at an utter loss. There was nowhere to go. She would have to see him eventually. And if she really waited long enough, her Miraculous would also run out, after a while. He had never felt such guilt. They were never supposed to reveal who they were. Never. Their partnership was built on trust. Trust to get away before their transformations ran out. Trust, so they could keep Paris, and their secret identities safe.

Now, he had ruined everything in some enamored craze. Of course his Cataclysm wouldn't work, their suits were magical. What good would it do if he could use it on her? He had messed up so, so bad. Ladybug hadn't moved, he was frantically trying not to make any noise as a few sobs escaped his throat. His Lady had lost faith in him. She would never return his feelings. She had opened up to him and all she got in return was him putting them both, and the city, in potential danger. His love was worthless.

He choked down his tears, wiping his eyes on his shirt, and sat for a few minutes, staring at the starry night sky with bitter remorse. What was he going to do without her? She wouldn't trust him again. They wouldn't be able to work together like before. The stars gave him no consolation, twinkling on without any change. And yet, they still could only remind him of how her eyes had sparkled just the same.

In his head, he could see her grins as they bumped fists. He could feel every gaze they had ever shared resonating through his body, as he had swelled with pleasure at her affirming glances. Every slight bit of contact, every time she had chuckled at one of his silly jokes, and the feeling of her lips pressed to his, the feeling of complete faith and comfort with her against him, had collapsed. Dissipated with the last sounding of his Miraculous. It would all be absent. Just as his father dismissed him as lesser, weaker, now she would join him.

All of these outcomes he had conjectured, and she hadn't even seen him yet. These negative feelings, he couldn't let them get through to him too soon. He glanced at Ladybug once again, and saw that her shoulders still shook with emotion. She rested her head in her hands, elbows on the railing now. At least she'd stood up a little, and seemed to be gazing dully out at the cityscape.

He wanted so desperately to know what was going through her mind. Was she angry? Probably, she was obviously very shaken up. There was no way their partnership would ever be the same. She would never hold as much respect for him as she did he had gotten through his head. He dragged his hands across his face, groaning quietly in despair.

He wouldn't know for sure until he tried to reach out to her.

Adrien finally stood up, and he could see her stiffen as he approached her. Step by step, she seemed to shrink more and more, until he was a few paces behind her. Ladybug had yet to turn her head at all.

"You aren't even a little curious?" he conjectured. At this point, he wasn't sure what she was waiting for. "I know I messed up, and that it's my fault we're in this situation…" he lost his train of thought. He moved a step closer, as she noticeably tensed up. He tried to keep his voice from cracking as he spoke. "I messed up so bad, Ladybug… I know things will never be the same, I… I know you can't trust me after… " He paused, and tried to compose himself as his emotions welled up.

"I know I said I'd love you when I met the girl behind the mask. And that I'd love you if I never met her. That feeling… must not be mutual." Ladybug had begun to shudder again, yet still said nothing. Adrien began to grow frustrated. Why wouldn't she say anything? Did she hate him that much? Had he really made such a big mistake? He stopped caring about his perfect voice and composure, and tears began to run down his face. He stepped forward and tried to put his hand on her shoulder, but she rushed away. He spoke after her as he sunk to his knees.

"Please… tell me why you won't even look at me… Tell me how I can fix it. I don't want to lose you…" She stopped mid-step. Finally, Ladybug spoke, her voice shaking.

"I don't know how we'll make this work Chat." She sniffed, and wiped her eyes with her hands. "The only secret I've ever been able to keep… is my own." She turned around, keeping her eyes closed tight. Plagg peeked at Adrien from around the corner, but he shooed him away. She continued. "If I find out who you are, I'm bound to give it away, and you could… you…" she took a deep breath.

"You could get hurt because of me."

Adrien was at a loss for words. No anger. Just concern. He stood up, and walked closer to Ladybug, her eyes still shut tight.

"Please forgive me Ladybug."

"It wasn't your fault, Chat." He came closer. Her face was covered in residue from her crying, all his fault. He put his hands on her face softly, and brushed away what he could. One hand remained cupping her cheek. She didn't back away.

"Will you look at meow?" She gave a slight scoff.

"How will we make it work?" she asked, full of hesitation. He hushed her with his words, speaking very softly.

"We're Ladybug and Chat Noir. Nobody should want to mess with us." Their faces were undeniably close.

"Come on." he pleaded. So very close.

"I…" she shrunk away from his touch, and his heart dropped. Of course she would refuse. His lady would never allow this to happen. He went back to the railing, and was now the one with his face in his arms.

A few moments passed. Adrien sunk into disappointing acceptance that his love would remain unrequited. For the greater good. He turned around, his eyes squinted closed as he forced out something, anything to say.

"Do you think we could still be friends, I can just transform back… I-" he opened one eye, and his words felt as though they were stolen by the breeze.

"Marinette…?"

She turned in surprise, almost tripping over her shoes. Her eyes went from curiosity to almost horror as she saw him. They stared into each other's eyes, for just a moment, their looser clothing being the only motion between them. Marinette opened her mouth slightly, and whispered.

"Adrien?"


End file.
